Spring forming and spring tempering device



Sept. 16, 1930. c. PETERSON 1,776,084

SPRING FORMING AND SPRING TEMPERING DEVICE Filed Nov. 18, 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Invenaaf Ca Sept. 116, 1930. cz. PETERSON SPRING FORMINGAND SPRING TEMPERING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 18,- 1927OOOOOOOQOOUy Sept. 16,. 1930. c. PETERsoN SPRING FORMING AND SPRING'rwranma nsvrcs Filed Nov. 1'8, 1927 v 6 7 A IVI /VI l 6 Patented Sept.16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL PETERSON, oF JAMAICA PLAIN,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR Tol GEORGE LAWRENCE, on CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTSSPRING ECRMING AND SPRING TEMPERING DEVICE origami appiieation inea my26, 1e'26, serial` No,125,113. Divided and thiseppiieaaon inea Nvemiier`1s, 1927. jseriai 110,234,126.

This invention aims to provide improvements in a spring-forming andspring-tempering device particularly adapted for making .spring leaveseither for quantity pro- 5 duction or for repair work. i

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No.125,113, filed July 26, 1926.l t p In the drawings, which illustrate apre- 10 erred embodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a front elevationof the machine, showing the tank in cross-section, one springformingdevice being. in position'forftemperingy a spring leaf and anotherdevicein 315 position for receiving and forming a heated springleaf; l

Fig. 2 is a section onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation viewV of a spring-pressing membershowing a portion of the cross-bar and adjusting screw;

Fig. l is a Section on theline 4 4 oi' Fig. 3

yFig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line z5 6 6 of Fig. `1, showing thelocking means and adjusting means for the die members;

and 1 Fig. 7 is an` enlarged section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1, showingthe means for adjust- 43|) ing one of the 'flexible spring-pressingmembers. v l

Referring to the embodiment of my invention illustrated by the drawings,I have shown a machine for forming and tempering leaf springs, andparticularly, though not exclusively, leaf springs for use on all kindsof vehicles. The machine, as illustratedin Fig. 1, includes an oil tank1, into which is. placed a frame, supporting the "working parts of themachine. The `frame has a base 2 resting upon the bottom of the tank 1,upright posts 3 at the sides and a top part 4, which ties the posts 3together. These posts 3 provide guides for three slidingicross-bars 5, 6and 7, the purposes of which are to provide supports for various partswhich form the means for bending the spring leaves into a desired form.y

' The lower cross-bar 7 carriestlie die means `against which the springleaf may be pressed and is provided with a plurality of grooves 8, inwhich are guided a-series or" vertically adjustable die members 9. Thesedie meinbers are pivotallymounted upon stems 10, provided with rackteeth 11, cooperating with are carried by rotatable shafts 13 mounted inthe cross-bar 7. At'the outer end oi' each shaft 13, I have provided yaratchet wheel 14 cooperating with a'spring-actuated pawl 15 mounted uponthe cross-bar 7. Thus, I have provided means whereby each die inemberisflocked against downward movement when pressure is applied thereto,while being readily adapted to move upwardly and held Each Vpawl has alinger portion 16 which enters a slot in a slidable 17 normally moved inone direction by av Spring 17 a.; The shifting lever may be operated bymeans of the handle 17b to release all of the pawls at onetime so thatthe die members 9 may automatically drop, by gravity, against spring`bumper means 17C located below the endsof the stems 10 so that the diemembers may not strike against the upper face .of the cross-bar 7.

The middle cross-bar 6 supports'themeans for pressing the spring. leaflagainst the dies 9.' The means illustrated in the drawings include twolongitudinally movableselladjusting members 18, 18'adapted to act uponthe end portions of the spring leaf, as shown in Fig. 1, `and aplurality of spring-pressed pivotally supported jawmembers 19 ,adaptedto press against the central portion ofthe spring leaf. TheSpring-engaging portions of the members 18 and 19 areformed from aplurality of relatively short thin links spaced apart and having anarrow edge so as tocontact with as littleof the surfaceof the spring aspossible. The. links are pivoted relative to each other so that they mayconform substantially to the bend of the spring leaf.

The third cross-bar 5 is Connected to the middle cross-bar 6k by atoggle link arrangepawlA shifting lever pinions 12, as shown in Fig. 6.The piiiions i G5 inany position to which it may be elevated,

ment 19a, and haspivoted thereon a` pair of f cross-bars is vthemovement of ther middlecross-,bar 6, as will be hereinafter described inconnection with the operation of the maf. chine.

To actuate the toggle links which connect the cross-bars 5 and 6, I haveprovided a Centrally loca-ted vertical sliding-rack rod 22, guided inthe top plate 4 and`cooperating witha pinion 23. The toggle linkarrangement 19a i's connected tothe rack rod 22 by links 23Il and theselinks operate the toggle links to move the bar`6 when the rack bar ismoved upwardly or downwardly as more fully hereinafter described.

Any suitable means may be provided for turning the pinion'23, but I haveshown four pulleys 24,25, 26 and 27 mounted upon a shaft 28 supported inbearing posts 29 and 30 bolted to the top plate 4 as shown in Fig; 1.The pulleys 24 and 27 may be driven by the belts 31 and 32,'the otherpulleys 25 and 26 .merely being idle on the shaft 28. The shaftl 28'also carriesv a Vpinion 33 which meshes with a gear 34 carried by thesame shaft35 which carries" the pinion 23 for Y driving the rack rod 22.Suitable belt shift means 36 is shown supported in a convenient mannerfor'shifting the belts when theoperator wishes to drive the rack rod 22in either an upward or a downward direction. l While thus far I havedescribed a single mechanism which may be used 'formforming andtempering spring leaves,- I have illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a machinewhich includes two ofV such mechanisms 'drivenfrom the same drivingmeans so'that one spring leaf may be tempered while anotherspring leafis being formed. Therefore two'sets ofuprights 3 are provided upon whichare mounted two setsv of cross-bars, 6 'and 7 and the parts carriedthereby, as above described.

By providing adouble machine, I not only speed up production and providecompafctness, but one spring-forming I. mechanism balances the other andboth operate together. To this end, I vprovide an Aupper set of chains37 connected to the top crossbars 5, 5 and operating around vsprocketwheels 38 and a lower setof chains 39 conf nected to the. lowercross-bars 7, 7.and operating on sprocket wheels 40, as shown in Figg1.These chains and sprocket wheels cooperate to move one unit up whilepulling the other unit down during cert-ain periods of operation of themachine which will be more fully hereinafter described.

In order to provide safety to the machine so that itY cannot be operatedaccidentally while the operator is placing a spring leaf in positionorpositioning the die members 9, I have provided locking means forpreventing operation of the driving mechas nsm. The locking meansselected for illustration includes a notched wheel 41, carried bytheshaft- 35, and cooperating with a latch 42 which may spring intothe.` notch 43 in the wheel 41, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby effectivelypreventing turning of the gears even thoughv the belt shifter 36 shouldbe operated. A. rocker shaft 44ismounted on the-*frame of the: machine just'beneath'the 'topfplate4'v and carries a cam 45 which engages thetail'42a ofthe latch 42 so that, when the shaft is rocked by pullingupon the'wire 46, the 4latch `42 maybe released from the wheel 41 andthemachine may be operated. If the operatorinoves the belt shifter 36 tomove the belts 3,1 and 32 on to the pulleys 24and 27' before pulling thewire 46 to release the latch 42, the belts 31 and 32 will merely sliparound the pulleys 24 and 27 without driving them, because the safetylocking` means is strong enough tor -hold the driving means againstrotation. After themachine has been started, the wire 46 may bereleasedand the operation ofthe machine may continue until the latchvagain snaps into the notch 43.V K

Each of the self-adjusting members 18 is lprovidedwith a block 47`slidably mounted at thelower side of the cross-*bar 6, a shoe 48suspended from the block by springs 49' and 50 secured to a link 51pivoted upon the block. The means for sliding each member 18 includes athreaded shaft 52 passing through an ear 53 at the side of the block anda-Vhand wheel 54 connected through suitable gearing,

as shown inl Fig.V 7, to the shaft 52. Each T shoe 48 is made up of anumber'of links secured together so that the shoe is more or lessflexible andmay conform with the dies 9 when pressing a spring leafthereagainst, as above described. The springs 49 and 50 are in the formof spring leaves and are so arranged that vthe shoe 48 is normally heldin an angular position with-the outer end of the shoe tipped downwardly.Oneof the ends of the spring 49 is secured to the shoe 48 while theother end is secured to one end of a link 55. The otherfend ofthe linkispivoted at the inner end of the'shoe 48, as shown in Fig. 3. The freeends of the spring 50 bear against the under side of the block 47 andmay slide against the block during the pressing operation of forming thespringv leaf, as hereinaf ter described.

Referring now to Fig. 5, which shows a cross-section through the block56 mounted on the cross-bar 6, I have shown a pair of sliding parts 57,57 carrying a part 58 which supports the yokes 59 upon which the memnbers 19 are pivoted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The yokes 59 areslida-ble inthe part 58 and springs 6() (Fig. 2) are provided. ltonormally press the yokes downwardly. The lower end of the rack rod 22 isalso guided in the block v56 and carries a pair of pawls 61, 61

pivotally mounted in slots cut in the sides of the rod adjacent its end,as shown in Fig. 5. These pawls 61, 61 are normally pressed outwardly bya spring 62, so that when they are free from the edges 63, 63 of theblock 56, they may engage teeth cut in the sliding parts 57, 57 in themanner and for the purposes hereinafter described inconnection with thecperationof the machine. 'Stop pins 64, 64 are provided at the uppervends of the sliding parts 57, 57 to limit the downward movement of thepart 58. w

' The tank 1, as best indicated in Fig. 2, has a pair of removable pans65, 65 located in Vthe space between the edges of the base 2 beneath theforming mechanism vto catch any scale or dirt which may drop from thespring leaves or other partsof the machine into the oil. Side plates 66are provided to direct the scale or dirt from the sides of the tank intothese pans. Thus the tank may be readily and quickly cleaned at any timeby drawing off the oil and removing and cleaning the pans and sides. Atthe upper front and rear edges of the tank, T provide shelves 67 67 uponwhich the spring leaves may be placed either before or after forming andtempering, and

holes 68 are provided therein so that the oil from the spring leaves maydrain back intov the tank.

When operating the machine, the oil is kept cool by circulation and thisis done by drawing the oil through the pipe 69 at the top of the tank,cooling it, and passing it back to the tank through the pipe 70 at thebottom of the tank. l

In illustrating'the machine, I have shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, twopositions of the means for pressing the spring leaves. The frontmechanism, as viewed inY Fig. 1, shows a spring leaf pressed to thedesired form and submerged in the oil bath in the tank. The rea-rmechanism is shown in position for adjusting the die members 9 and forreceiving the hot spring leaf 71. In the position ofthe parts of themachine, as shown rin Fig. 1, the

vmachine is locked so that it cannot be operated accidentally while theoperator is adjusting the die members 9 or placingA the spring leaf 71in position. y

. Assuming that the parts of the machine are in the positions showninFigs. 1 and 2,

the operation is as follows: First, the oper-k ator adjusts the diemembers 9 to the desired form to which the spring leaf'is to be bent.For this purpose a templet may be used, if desired, and a roughadjustment lof the dies 9 may be madefby lifting them by hand.

However, to secure a fine adjustment of a die member, it is preferableto turn the shaft A13, to which the ratchet Wheel 14 and gear 12 aresecured, by the use of a socket wrench which.

may be engaged-over' a nut 72 at the end of the shaft `13. `When thedies 9 are setto the proper form for the spring leaf, as shown by f themechanism at the rear of the machine (Figs. 1 and, the hot spring leaf71 may be y placed in position over the die membersas shown. The centerdie member is provided with a pin 7 3, (Fig.V 2) which passes `throughthe bolthole 74 in the spring to provide centering means for the leaf,and spring-pressed spring-engaging fingers 75 mounted on the cross-bar7pressed against Vthe edges of the leaf to keep it 1n alignment with thedie members or templet, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When leaves arebemgformed without a centhe members 18 to their proper positions over v theend portions of the spring, the next operation of the machine is themovement of the cross-bar 6 toward the cross-bar 7. This movement of thebar .6 willpress the springpressing members 18 and 19 against the springleaf 71, and force it (whilehot) to assume the form to which the dies 9have been adjusted. This operation may be effected by pulling.downwardly on the wire 46to release the 'locking means, and then movingthe 'handle of the belt shifter so as to shift the belts 81 and 82 ontothe pulleys 24 and 26, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby to turn the shaft 28and voperate the various gears whichsupply the motive powerfor movingthe rack rods22. The latchesv 29, being hooked'into engagement with thetop plate 4, prevent downward movement of the cross-bar 5, and thecross-bar 7, being rig# idly connected to the bar 5 by the strips 21, istherefore also initiallyvheldagainst movement.` Therefore, the initialdownwardmovement of the rack rod- 22r will operate through the links 23-to straigl'iten the toggle links 19a and move the bar 6 toward the bar7. During this movement, the slices 48 of the members 18 and the members19 vare brought into contactwith the spring leaf'71 at substantially thesame time. As the-bar 6 continues toward the bar 7, the shoes 48 ofthemembers 18 press the outer ends of the spring leaf 71 against the dies9. The action' of these members 18 is a crawling or creeping one becauseof the peculiar arrangement ofthe springs 49 and 50 and the angle of theshoe 48. Thus, as the spring leaf 71`becomes more and more compressed,the shoes 48 move toward the ends of the spring 7l. and draw thespringleaf 71 outwardly from the center so that it will conform withdies 9 and thereby prevent any bulging action between the members 18 and19.v Further downwardy movement of the rack rod 22,

which up to this time has been sliding freely in the block 56, moves thepawls 61 (Fig. 5)

past the corners 63 so `that they may engage- 58 is forced downwardly,therebycompress-YV ing the springs 60 surrounding the yokes 59 andpressing the jaw members 19 rmly against the central portion of thespring leaf 71 and holding it firmly against the Vdies 9.

The lost motion between the rack rod'22 and the jaw members 19 providedby the springs 60 after the pawls 61 are engaged with the teeth on thesliding parts `57, permits releasing of the latches after the springleaf 71 has-been compressed to its proper form against the die members9. The releasing action is effected by engagement of the toggle links19a with the lower portions 76 of the latch members 2O to swing thelatches about their pivots and release them from engagement with the topplate la ofthe machine. y

J ust prior to the release of the pawls 61, the locking pawl 7 7 pivotedat the back of the block 56, may engage a notch7 8 cut into the rack bar22, as shown in Fig. 2, so that when the pawls 61 are released the partsare held in clamped position and cannot be released until the pawl 77 iswithdrawn from the notch 7 8. When the cross-bars reach their lowestposition in the tank 1, the pawl 77 is released by the eye 79 at the endof the rod 80, which passes through a hole in the pawlV member 77, asshown in the mechanism at thel left in Fig. 2. Thus, when the mechanismat the right is operated to clamp "a heated Spring leaf, the cross-bar 6may be raised while the cross-bar 7 and spring remain in the temperingbath in the tank 1.

During the period of pressing the spring leaf 71 at the rear of themachine, the rack rodvZ)J for the front mechanism would be raised,thereby releasing the spring-pressing mechanism but allowing the springleafto remain in the oil all during this period. p

After the latch members 2O for the rear mechanism are released, furtherrotation of the pinion 23 will act upon the rack rod 20 at the rear toforce the cross-bars 5, 6 and 7, as a unit, downwardly into the tank 1so that the spring leaf 71 may be submerged in the oil, thereby tobecome tempered and cooled.

The front and rear mechanisms being secured by the chains 37 and 39, thedownward movement of one mechanism will pull the other mechanism up outof the oil so that the operator may take the spring leaf from the formand lav it upon ther shelf 67 (Fig. 2) to drain while placing a new leafin position to be formed. The operation then continues as described.

With the machine described, any number of spring leaves may be formedexactly alike tank.

orV the dies`9 may be easilyv and'quickly reset ,1

to make a different `leaf at each operation of the machine. .Thus, themach-ine is` equally useful for production work or for repair work. l

.The peculiar arrangement and formation of the part-s which'are used toformthe spring leaves are simple in construction'and operation and areadapted to be so arranged that spring leaves of various curves andangles may be made without changing any of the parts'of the machine. f

While I have shown and described` a pre` ferred embodiment of myinventiomit should be understood that I donot wish to be limited to theparticular arrangement and formation Vof parts, my invention beingbest'deiined in thefollowing claims.

Cl aims 1. A spr1ng-form1ng and tempering 'ma-5 table-like members ismoved toward the other andQmeans for moving both table-likemembers withtheV spring leaf gripped therebetween into the tempering tank. Y

2. A Vspring-forming and tempering machine comprising, in combination, atemper- `ing tank, a frame, three cross-bar members slidable uponsaidframe, the upper andlower bars being connected to prevent relativemovement therebetween while the middlebar is movable relative thereto,springforming means provided by the lower andA middle bars, toggle meansconnecting said upper and middle bars, means vfor operation ofnsaidtoggle means to reciprocate said middle bar,

latch means carried bysaid-upper bar forengagement with said frame tohold said upper and lower bars against sliding move; ment relativetosaid frame while said middle baris being moved toward said. lower barto form the spring leaf, said latch means being releasable by saidtoggle means lafter the spring has been formed thereby to permit thethree bars toV slide as a unit so that the clamped springV leaf may belowered into the 3. A spring-forming and tempering machine comprising,incombination, a tempering tank, a frame, three cross-bar membersslidable uponsaid frame, the upper and lower barsbeing connected to'prevent relative movement therebetween while the .middle bar is movablerelative thereto., springforming means provided by the lowerand middlebars, means for moving the middle bar toward the lower bar to clamp aheated spring leaf between the spring-forming means, locking means forpreventing relative movement between said middle and lower barssubsequent to clamping the-spring leaf,

.means for moving al] three bars as a unit toward *the tank to submergethe spring leaf in the tempering bath and means acting to release saidlocking means after the spring is submerged in the bath to permitraising of the middle bar while permitting the lower bar and spring Vtoremain in the tempering bath. Y f

4t. A spring-forming and tempering machine comprising, in combination, atank containing a tempering bath, a frame eX- tending upwardly from saidtank,y two spring-forming mechanisms slidably mounted upon said frame insuch a manner that one mechanism balances. the other so that when onespring is being tempered another may be formed and means cooperatingbetween the mechanisms whereby a portion of one mechanism may be raisedwhile the spring is being formed lon said other mechanism withoutdisturbing or raising the remainder of the mechanism or the spring inthe tempering tank and further means for raising the tempered spring andits springforming mechanism from the tempering bath when the saidmechanism with the formed spring is lowered into the bath.

5. A spring-forming and tempering machine comprising, in combination, atempering tank, a frame', three cross-bar members slidable upon saidframe, the 'upper and lower cross-bars being held against relativemovement, spring-forming means vprovided between the middle and lowerbars, means connecting said middle and upper bars, operating means foroperation of the means connecting said upper and middle bars forreciprocating said middle bar and for moving the bars as a unit towardthe tempering tank, latch means for engagement with said frame toprevent movement of the upper and lower bars during reciprocation of themiddle bar and means for releasing the latch means when a spring leafhas been formed thereby to permit the movement of the cross-bars towar-dthe tank.

6. Spring-forming mechanism comprising, in combination, spring-formingdevices each having movable cross-bar members slidably mounted upon anupright frame and connected for opposed and alternate operation uponspring leaves, a tempering tank located at the bottom of said frame,operating mechawf'nism acting upon said spring-forming devices to moveone of them into the tempering tank while holding another out of thetank to permit forming of a spring leaf, locking means for preventingmovement of one crossbar of each spring-forming 'device during thespring-forming and tempering operations and means operable to move across-barof the spring-forming device in which a spring is being formedthereby to compress a spring leaf to a desired form. 5

l7. A spring-forming and-tempering ma-V chine comprising,in'combination, a tempering tank, a frame, two table-like membersmovable relative toA said fname and rela-tive to eachother, apluralityof independently Aadjustable die members carried by one i of saidtable-like members for providinga form Yto which a spring leafis to Vbebent, self-adjustin g independently ,i acting Qleaf pressing meanscarried by the 'other table-lv like member for pressing the spring leafinto Contact with the said die members when one table-like member is.moved toward the other and means operable to move both table-likemembers with the spring. pressed between. them into the tempering tank.A 8.*A spring-forming and temperingmachine comprising, in combination, atank containing a tempering bath, a stationary frame extending upwardlyfrom said tank, two spring-forming mechanisms slidably A mounted uponsaidframe in such a manner that one mechanism balances the other so thatwhenone spring is being tempered the other may be formed, connectingmeans, l

whereby when one mechanism is raised from the tank another is loweredinto the tank, rack and pinion means operating independently of theconnecting means and connected with the said spring-forming mechanismsto, vpress or release the spring leaves and thereafter to raise or lowerthe said mechanisms as units and lockmg means operable to preventmovement of one complete spring-forming mechanism relative to anotheruntil after portion of aV other, locking means preventing movement ,120

`between one table-like member and the frame except when desired andmeansoperable to move one table-like member toward the other to pressthe spring leaf into a desired shape and toV release the locking meansand further to move the two table-like members into the tempering tank.

10. A spring-forming and tempering machine comprising, in combination, atemper-- ing tank, a frame, threecrossbar members.,`

mounted for sliding movement relative to said frame, the upper andVlower crossbar lmembers being connected to prevent relative movementtherebetween while the middle bar 55 is movable relativetheretofspring-forming Ymeans carried by the lower and middle bars,means for moving the middle bar toward the lower bar to vClamp a heatedspring leaf between the spring-forming means'and thereafter to move allthreebars as a unit toward the tank to submerge the spring leaf in thetempering bath; j In testimony whereoil havejsigned my name to thisSpecification.

15 t CARL PETERSON.

